The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled to allow the Trump administration to enforce restrictions on transgender personnel in the military. President Trump's ban was blocked by several courts last year, but the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to lift the injunctions that had rejected the restrictions. The controversial policy first banned transgender people from serving in the U.S. military "in any capacity," then was later amended to ban transgender people who "may require substantial medical treatment." The ruling means that the restrictions can be enforced while a case proceeds to determine the policy's long-term fate.

House Democrats filed a resolution Friday morning seeking to block President Trump's declaration of an emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border, which he is using to get more money to build his promised border wall after Congress declined to give him the funding he demanded. Democrats have said Trump overstepped his authority by sidestepping Congress. The Democratic-controlled House is expected to pass the resolution, but its fate is less certain in the Senate, where Republicans hold a narrow majority. Normally, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could just decline to bring legislation to the floor, but under a provision in the National Emergencies Act, the Senate has to take up the matter within 18 days after the House sends it over.

North Carolina's elections board has called for a new congressional election in the disputed 9th District. Republican candidate Mark Harris narrowly beat Democrat Dan McCready in November, but the board had refused to call the election amid widespread allegations of fraud committed by Harris' campaign. In a hearing Thursday, Harris denied knowledge of any "improper activities," but called for a new election because "the public's confidence ... has been undermined." Earlier in the week, state investigators and the board said they had "evidence" that proved "a coordinated, unlawful, and substantially resourced absentee ballot scheme operated during the general election." A witness also said she was paid to take absentee ballots by McCrae Dowless, who consulted for Harris' campaign.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said he was closing the nation's border with Brazil as he continued to battle with political rivals vowing to bring in foreign humanitarian aid. Maduro said on TV that he also might shut the border with Colombia to prevent the opposition from bringing in the supplies. The embattled socialist president insists there is no humanitarian crisis in the country, and says the effort to bring in the aid is a U.S.-orchestrated stunt to make his government look bad. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has declared himself Venezuela's legitimate interim leader with backing from the U.S. and other countries, is leading a convoy to the Colombian border, vowing to make sure the aid gets to the population.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Thursday she supports reparations for black Americans affected by slavery. "We must confront the dark history of slavery and government-sanctioned discrimination in this country that has had many consequences, including undermining the ability of black families to build wealth in America for generations," she said, calling for "systemic, structural changes to address that." She did not detail any specific policy plans. While some politicians, like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have said a reparations plan would be too "divisive," fellow 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) recently backed the idea, saying she would "change policies ... and make real investments in black communities."

Duke said Thursday that freshman basketball superstar Zion Williamson suffered a mild knee sprain when his Nike PG 2.5 shoe burst apart at the start of the Blue Devils' prime-time televised game against North Carolina, suggesting he could return soon to the currently No. 1-ranked team. Nike shares dropped by 1 percent on Thursday as the athletic apparel maker scrambled to figure out why the shoe disintegrated. Former President Barack Obama was courtside, and was shown in a widely seen video reacting by pointing toward Williamson and saying, "His shoe broke!" Duke struggled after Williamson's injury, losing to No. 8 UNC in a stunning upset. The incident renewed debate over whether playing college ball is worth the risk for players who stand to make millions as pros.